Is the .357 Magnum obsolete?

As a cartridge it is a great personal defense cartridge. It is still a capable cartridge but is it past it's day? Police have replaced the revolver with a semi-auto, 45ACP and 9mm are the popular cartridge these days. Fewer young people are using it. Personally I've got more 357 mags than any other caliber. What do you guys think?

Nope...........I put 50 hollow points thru my Rossi 92 this afternoon......and they worked just fine. :idea:

It's still good up to deer. The 41 isn't a big improvement. Th hunt "big game" here in Colorado you have to use a pistol that has 550 ft lbs at 50 yards with expanding ammunition. AFAIK that's the most stringent in the US.

As for LEO most are going to semiauots. I don't see revolvers coming back except for, possibly, special ops. The pistol caliber carbine are making a comeback though. Ruger could solve the problem of a reasonably priced magazine that feeds rimmed cartridges. They had built them in the past for their PC9 in 44 mag. But the 357 is a decent intermediate between the 9mm & the 10mm or 45/44mag. However there are easier choices.

BTW I love my 9/38/357 convertible.

Certainly it is "past its day" in the sense that it is a revolver cartridge and the guns of the present day are semi-automatics. But the .357 Mag is still a great revolver cartridge.

I figure that according to many, we're all anachronisms because we shoot revolvers, rather than the latest, greatest polymer-frame striker-fired semi auto pistol in whatever today's greatest cartridge is. As evidenced by law enforcement agencies switching from 9mm to .40 S&W (or .357 Sig), then back to 9mm. Or .45 ACP. We favor revolvers (for a large part), and many of us favor those cartridges beginning with the number '4.' Absolutely nothing wrong with the .357 Mag or .38 Special, for that matter. They're still a great place to start a new shooter with centerfire cartridges (moreso the .38 Spl), and work well for general usage. I recall an article by Skeeter Skelton about 'if you could only own one gun.' He selected a 5" M27 S&W in .357 Mag. A sound choice.

BTW the 357 is legal for big game (deer etc.) in many states. One exception is Colorado which wants a energy of 550ft lbs at 50yards. That's a 44magnum.

NOPE , not hardly !

And so it goes...

grobin said:

BTW the 357 is legal for big game (deer etc.) in many states. One exception is Colorado which wants a energy of 550ft lbs at 50yards. That's a 44magnum.

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This certainly does not apply to all revolvers, or the T/C for those that are loading their own. My 5.5" BH Bisley is running 172 grain FNHPGC bullets at 1455 fps, 808 ft # @ the muzzle and surly still capable of the 550 at 50, although I have much better deer and antelope guns in the 45 colt for hunting.

But this performance is available for those that want to use this cartridge, and I say for this reason as well as the fact is much easier for the recoil sensitive shooters to handle, it is far from becoming extinct.

Took my S&W 66 with 4 inch barrel with me down to the range yesterday and really enjoyed shooting
a few of my so called FBI loads after cutting the grass.
Still makes for a nice carry gun while out in the woods with the 158 gr. lead hollow point loads.

I think for social occasions, and the requirement for many folks to remain concealed, plastic pistols with a whole bunch of little tiny cartridges have taken a tremendous edge.

But for folks that actually spend time in the woods, the .357 remains a great choice, and my preference. And even in the fore mentioned social settings, a .357 revolver is every bit as useful as it ever was.

tinman said:

Nope...........

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+1

Most of my handguns are .357s including a Marlin carbine. I believe that it will remain popular with a great number of shooters for many years to come.

I must add, at least for folks in our age group. :mrgreen:

Nope its super in a single action or double action revolver or a lever, bolt, or single shot carbine.

It's all good, 357 has it's place both on the Range and in History!
Obsolete? Not imho. ps

I only have 2 right now, a 6" Security Six and an Encore with a 9" MGM barrel. I shoot and hunt with both. I load powder puff to stout, all in mag brass. I have three 38's for that brass.

The .357-Mag is a good round which has been chambered in a lot of good guns. That said though, I personally don't have a use for it, nor do I find it enjoyable to shoot. In fact, I find it down-right obnoxious.

At any rate, all of my "357's" get feed .38-Spl ammo, and always have. Even the ones, which due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to carry for brief periods during my police carrier...So, just to answer the question at hand; No, I don't think it's obsolete. I do however, understand why it's not the big seller it used to be.

DGW

Impossible to see the 357 going anywhere. It's a staple cartridge and very versatile.

At the range, I've been chatting with several semi-auto guys actually expressing interest in going into the 357 revolver direction....

DGW1949 said:

The .357-Mag is a good round which has been chambered in a lot of good guns. That said though, I personally don't have a use for it, nor do I find it enjoyable to shoot. In fact, I find it down-right obnoxious.

At any rate, all of my "357's" get feed .38-Spl ammo, and always have.

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I have two .357 chambered revolvers, a 6" S&W 686 and a 4.2" Ruger GP-100. Even relatively heavy revolvers like these are pretty obnoxious with full power .357 ammo. They are a real pleasure with .38 Special ammo which I use almost exclusively in them. It's easier on the guns and on me.

That said, it's comforting to know the power is available on request. It's a bit like having a 300HP car. You will probably never make use of the extra power but it's nice to know it's there.

Well for the semi-auto plastics there is it's cousin the .357 Sig. Only thing about both is they are very loud
to shoot if in an enclosed area!